


A Fox Named Fox

by CultureisDarkBeer



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:55:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22529707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CultureisDarkBeer/pseuds/CultureisDarkBeer
Summary: I was asked to write about the two pictures inside this fic as if that was Mulder and Scully’s daughter, Maggie. While going through my day, this came to me. I wrote it in the style of a YA book, just to be a little different.  Short, happy, and upbeat.
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Comments: 14
Kudos: 54





	A Fox Named Fox

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/164474329@N02/49475593522/in/dateposted/)

  


“That’s a fox mommy!” Maggie said excitedly, pointing at the cartoon fox in the picture book.

“That’s right Maggie, it is,” Scully said, nuzzling her neck until she let out a giggle, her arm wrapped around Maggie as Maggie sat on her lap. “You’re doing so well with your animals.” Between Mulder reading to her nightly and their bi-weekly reading sessions on the couch, Maggie was progressing steadily and in the top percentile for her age.

“Is that your fox?” Scully asked her. Lately, Maggie had been telling stories of a fox that lived in the woods behind their house. Her descriptions were so vivid Scully was worried perhaps there was an actual animal back there.

Mulder returned, leaning down to give Scully and his little girl a kiss. By that time Maggie was on the floor, playing with her Mandalorian and Baby Yoda action figures. Mulder sat down on the rug beside her and she handed him the Bounty Hunter so he could play with her. 

“Mulder, she’s talking about her friend in the woods again,” Scully said, concerned.

“It’s normal for someone her age to have imaginary friends. It’s a sign of intelligence,” Mulder answered, flying the Mandalorian through the air to shoot down the storm troopers.

“I don’t want her in the woods alone.”

“She wandered off once Scully, while we were fishing, she was gone for a couple minutes. We could hear her feet crunching against the leaves. She wasn’t far.”

“Even so, she doesn’t need to be in the yard by herself. What if a raccoon or even a bear tries to attack her?”

Mulder chuckled. “Bear? Scully? Have you ever seen a bear? No, you’re right. I won’t leave her alone, but she’s kind of slippery like me. She fakes left and goes right and next thing you know she’s exploring.” He caught Scully’s expression and reassured her, “I’ll keep a closer eye.”

Out in the backyard Maggie ran around in the blades of weathered grass laughing, her 

sweater, which Scully educated Mulder was pumpkin spice, keeping her warm from the cool winter air. Scully had dressed her in layers, from her dark gray wool leggings underneath her lighter gray denim dress, to the thermal layer underneath. Maggie had insisted on wearing her Timberland boots. The ones just like her daddy. 

“Again, Daddy!”

Mulder kicked the large rubber ball lightly to his daughter and she ran, belly flopping onto the top of the ball and giggling. Mulder ran and swooped her into the air as her mouth opened and eyes squinted in glee, wisps of her auburn hair taking flight. He set her down. 

“I want to visit my friend, Daddy,” Maggie said through her saliva soaked fingers.

“How about we find him together,” Mulder suggested. Maggie without a word, placed her tiny hand in his and they marched together into the forest.

“What’s your friend’s name, Maggie?” Mulder asked. 

“Fox,” she exclaimed. 

Mulder nodded, “A fox named Fox. Sounds about right.”

“He’s named after you, Daddy,” Maggie explained.

A little wandering in the woods mixed with the sound of the babbling creek and Mulder could feel the call of nature. “Maggie, stay right there while Daddy water’s that tree. Okay?”

Maggie nodded, overexaggeraing each bob of her head. What daddy didn’t see was her fingers crossed behind her back as she did it. As soon as Mulder was out of sight behind the large oak, Maggie began to look for her friend. It didn’t take much time. She could feel that jolt of excitement as she did every time he was close.

The fox stopped when their eyes locked and lifted his head. He was a magnificent creature, with a bright bushy tangerine fur covering his back and snow white fur on his chest. His feet were colored black as though he had on socks to protect him from the cold forest ground. Maggie reached into her pocket and scooped out a goldfish cracker thinking her fox might be hungry. She held her hand flat like her daddy taught her when they were feeding horses. The curious fox sniffed excitedly tickling her fingertips with his nose, making her squeal in glee. 

She followed him deeper into the woods, staring at robins and bluejays that fluttered by, squirrels burying their nuts, even a stray owl. Maggie knew they had gone too far and her father would soon be looking for her, but the fox stopped at a large flowering bush. Two black filled eyes with chalk white pupils stared back. Maggie gasped.

“Maggie! Maggie!” Mulder was starting to panic and Scully was going to kill him. 

Maggie could hear her father echoing in the breeze, comforting her through falling leaves. She sat down and waited, remembering that her mother told her if she was ever lost to stay where she was and allow her mommy to find her. As she sat in the shade of a sturdy maple, the fox came to sit beside her, holding his head up high, guarding her as she waited for Daddy. 

“Maggie,” Mulder said letting out a huge breath as he saw a bit of her sweater through the brush. His relief, short lived, when he saw the fox sitting next to her. It cemented his Timberlands in place. He had seen that fox before, but it couldn’t be. It was in a dream, a long long time ago when he was on his spiritual journey on the bridge of the spirit world. The native americans aided in his recovery and the fox helped guide his journey. His mouth suddenly dry, he itched for his seeds. “Maggie honey, come to Daddy."

“No, Daddy, this is Fox. Fox meet my Daddy, Fox.” Maggie giggled. “Daddy, there’s an animal in the bushes. Fox says he needs help.”

Mulder gritted his teeth. “Okay, Daddy’s coming.” He slowly crept forward as not to startle the animals. The fox looked in his direction. Did the fox wink at him?

Thirty minutes later, Mulder and Maggie emerged from the woods to see Scully in the yard with her arms crossed, tapping her foot. “Mulder, what were the two of you doing in the woods? You couldn’t stay in the yard? And look Maggie’s shoe is untied, she could trip.” Scully approached them, bending down to tie her daughter’s shoe, pausing at what was peeking from the trunk of the nearby tree. “Mulder, that’s a fox.”

“Yes, it’s a fox and we also found him.” Mulder pointed to a Nigerian dwarf goat eating grass in the clearing. “He got caught in the briars. I think the momma might have abandoned him.”

“Can we keep him mommy? Can we?” Maggie begged.

Scully sighed. “Bu.. she started and looked at her husband and her daughter’s puppy dog eyes and caved. “Oh, all right, we already have a dog, why not a goat,” Scully said sarcastically, “but you two are going to make sure he gets fed and is taking care of and stays in the barn.”

“Yay!” Maggie yelled, jumping up and down. 

Mulder looked back at the fox which bowed his head at him as if to nod and then turned to disappear back into the woods. 


End file.
